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About the Core Body of Knowledge

The Core Body of Knowledge: New York State's Core Competencies for Early Childhood Educators was written for professionals who work directly with young children, directors and program administrators, those involved with training organizations, teacher education programs, those involved with policy and advocacy initiatives, those involved with professional development systems, and any others working to elevate this field and improve the quality of early childhood education.

This resource outlines the knowledge, dispositions and skills required to work with young children. The Core Body of Knowledge offers a road map for building meaningful relationships with children, families and colleagues, for creating nurturing, stimulating environments, and for developing oneself as a professional in this incredibly important field.

The overarching goals and purposes of the Core Body of Knowledge are:

To inform the daily practice of professionals who work directly with young children, and to promote self-reflection and intentional professional development planning;

To guide program administrators and directors in assessing staff performance, identifying areas for professional development, and creating/reviewing job descriptions;

To aid training organizations in evaluating and developing professional development opportunities;

To assist teacher education programs in assessing, coordinating, and designing course content that will fulfill competency needs and facilitate transfer and articulation agreements;

To support local and state agencies in their quest to develop sound policy initiatives that improve the competency of early childhood professionals;

To support public and private investments, incentives, and initiatives that encourage and facilitate professional competency.